Various types of packaging machines or cartoning apparatus are designed to package articles, such as bottles or cans, into a unitary container such as a paperboard carton. Although the ultimate intended goal of these types of packaging machinery is the same, that is to package a desired number of articles in a specific orientation, the methods and apparatus for accomplishing this goal are diverse. Typically, the articles are grouped in some manner to correspond with the approximate container dimensions, and the article group is then transferred into the container. As a final processing step, the container is then closed around the article group. Such containers either can be substantially flat, creased carton blanks which are then folded around an article group, or partially formed, open ended containers in which the articles are directed into the containers through one end. The container ends are then closed by folding flaps across the open ends and gluing the flaps together. Some prior packaging machines perform the article selection, article grouping and article packaging functions in discrete steps, requiring interruption of the flow process.
The problem of process flow interruption was addressed in later packaging machines which utilize guide rails to divide the articles into distinct flow paths, and selector wedges or flights cooperating with the guide rails to pick or rake a predetermined number of articles, arrange the articles in an article group and transfer the article group into a container. These machines are substantially continuous motion packaging machines intended to package articles into various types of containers without flow interruption. An example of this type of packaging machine specifically designed to load articles into open ended cartons is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,959 to Langen et al. While in some respects this machine constituted an improvement over prior machines, it still is quite limited in that each machine lacks the mechanical flexibility to package articles of various dimensions during different process runs and in a variety of product or package configurations. In other words, the Langen et al. device is limited to processing articles of a specific diameter into specific article group configurations. Considering that today a very wide range of article types and dimensions are packaged, this constitutes a serious limitation. Additionally, this machine also includes repetitive elements and requires excessive machine structure arrangements.
Another packaging machine design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,673 to Calvert et. al. This machine also is a continuous motion machine utilizing guide rails and employing a type of selector wedge in the form of a metering bar. The metering bars are relatively massive, extending substantially across the entire machine to rake articles into article groups and to transfer the article groups into each end of an open ended container. While this machine necessarily retains many disadvantages due to its design, the guide rail and metering bar arrangement also make it impossible to readily package articles of different dimensions.
Another example of a continuous motion packaging machine of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,414 to Arena. This device uses guide rails and selector wedges to direct articles onto substantial flat, creased carton blanks, which are then folded about the article group. While this machine constitutes substantial improvements over the prior art devices, it nevertheless is limited to packaging a specific article size in a specific article group configuration.
Additionally, packaging machines which package articles in containers using the end loading method, typically either arrange an article group and direct the entire article group transversely into the open ended container, or arrange an article group and transfer the articles in staggered relationship to one another into the open ended container. Transferring staggered articles when open ended containers are used has been found to accomplish tighter article packaging within the carton, which is a desirable result. The method of transversely directing a unitary article group into an open ended container usually requires an additional step to form the container tightly around the articles, in order to accomplish the packaging within typical industry tolerances.
While the continuous motion packaging machines described above have permitted relatively high speed, uninterrupted article packaging, none of these machines is flexible in their abilities to selectively package articles of different dimensions, such as article diameters, and in different product configurations. This limitation has become quite acute and is even more of a disadvantage today, since products are now marketed in an ever increasing range of sizes and in many different product configurations. Changing from different article sizes or product configurations has required either the utilization of additional packaging machines, or that the packaging machine essentially be dismantled and rebuilt, if possible, to package articles of different sizes or configurations.